CUMIN POWDER
Product No. P03491
Cumin, Cuminum cyminum, is a flowering plant in the Apiaceae, or parsley, family, native from the east Mediterranean to East India. Its seeds, in ground form, are used in the cuisines of many different cultures.
The cumin plant grows to 30–50 cm tall and is harvested by hand. It is a herbaceous annual plant, with a slender branched stem and leaves around 5–10 cm long. The flowers are small, white or pinkand the fruit is a lateral fusiform or ovoid achene 4–5 mm long, containing a single seed. Cumin seeds resemble caraway seeds, being oblong in shape, longitudinally ridged, and yellow-brown in color, like other members of the Umbelliferae family such as caraway, parsley and dill.
Cultivation of cumin requires a long, hot summer of 3–4 months, with daytime temperatures around 30 °C (86 °F). Cumin is drought-tolerant, and is mostly grown in Mediterranean climates. It is grown from seed, sown in spring, and needs fertile, well-drained soil.
Cumin's distinctive flavour and strong aroma is due to its essential oil content. Its main constituent and important aroma compound is cuminaldehyde (4-isopropylbenzaldehyde). Important aroma compounds of toasted cumin are the substituted pyrazines, 2-ethoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine, 2-methoxy-3-sec-butylpyrazine, and 2-methoxy-3-methylpyrazine. Cumin seeds contain a relatively large percentage amount of iron.
Cumin has been in use since ancient times. Seeds have been excavated and dated to the second millennium BC. They have also been found at ancient Egyptian archaeological sites. Originally cultivated in Iran and the Mediterranean region, cumin is mentioned in the Bible in both the Old and the New Testament. It was also known in ancient Greece and Rome. The Greeks kept cumin at the dining table in its own container, and this practice continues in Morocco today. Cumin fell out of favour in Europe except in Spain and Malta during the Middle Ages. It was introduced to the Americas by Spanish and Portuguese colonists.
Since it returned to favour in parts of Europe, today it is mostly grown in Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, India, Syria, Mexico, and Chile. The plant is rare in the British Isles, mainly found in Southern England, but the frequency of its occurrence has greatly declined.
Cumin seeds are used as a spice for their distinctive aroma. They can be used ground or whole. They can be found in some Dutch cheeses, such as Leyden cheese, and in some traditional breads from France. Cumin can be an ingredient in chili powder (often Texan or Mexican-style), and is found in achiote blends, adobos, sofrito, garam masala, curry powder, and bahaarat.
Traditionally, in South Asia, cumin tea (dry seeds boiled in hot water) is used to distinguish false labour (due to wind and bloating) from real labour. In Sri Lanka, toasting cumin seeds and then boiling them in water makes a tea used to soothe acute stomach problems.
It is commonly believed that cumin seeds help with digestion, and are useful for flatulence, indigestion, diarrhoea, nausea, morning sickness, and atonic dyspepsia. They are thought to help stimulate the secretion of enzymes from the pancreas which can help absorb nutrients into the system, and have also been shown to boost the power of the liver's ability to detoxify the human body.
Recent studies have revealed that cumin seeds might also have anti-carcinogenic properties. In laboratory tests, this powerful seed was shown to reduce the risk of stomach and liver tumors in animals.
Cumin is also said to help relieve symptoms of the common cold due to it’s antiseptic properties. It can also be applied topically as a salve.
Cumin is believed to make a great tonic for the body and is believed to increase the heat in the body, thus making metabolism more efficient. It is also thought to be a powerful kidney and liver herb and can help boost your immune system. Though the appropriate studies have yet to be conducted, some believe black cumin seeds may even be able to help treat asthma and arthritis.
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